Two themes are brought together here. In 8:23 Jesus had distinguished himself from the world in addressing his Jewish opponents: “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.” In 15:16 Jesus told the disciples “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you+”. Now Jesus has united these two ideas as he informs the disciples that he has chosen them out of the world. While the disciples will still be “in” the world after Jesus has departed, they will not belong to it, and Jesus prays later in 17:15-16 to the Father, “I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” The same theme also occurs in 1 John 4:5-6: “They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us”. (Harris)
20. Remember the words I spoke to you: `No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. mnhmoneuete tou logou ou egw eipon umin ouk estin douloV meizwn tou kuriou autou ei eme ediwxan kai umaV diwxousin ei ton logon mou ethrhsan kai ton umeteron thrhsousin
The servants must expect similar treatment to that given the Master. The long roll of Christian martyrs shows how this has been verified. (Henry)
21. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. alla tauta panta poihsousin umin dia to onoma mou oti ouk oidasin ton pemyanta me
Now the reason for the world’s rejection of the disciples’ message and its persecution of them becomes clear: it is because they do not know the one who sent Jesus into the world. In the final analysis it is the world’s ignorance of God that causes them to respond to Jesus and to his followers so. Jesus came into the world to reveal the Father to men (1:18, 14:9); in rejecting him they have rejected the Father also. But had they known the Father (had they been open to revelation from God–had “the Jews” in 8:42 been true sons of Abraham–) then they would have received Jesus and his revelation of what God is like gladly. Instead they rejected him, and in so doing showed that they did not know the one who sent him. Here Jesus has extended to “the world” the same charge he made against “the Jews” in 5:37 and 7:28: they are ignorant of God. (Harris)
22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. ei mh hlqon kai elalhsa autoiV amartian ouk eicon nun de profasin ouk ecousin peri thV amartiaV autwn
Certain conclusions follow: (1) The degree of our sin is measured by our opportunities; (2) increased opportunities bring a consciousness of sin; light in the room enables us to see the dirt; (3) the sin of sins is the rejection of Christ. Since he came there is no cloak, no covering, and no excuse. Those who refuse Christ die in their sins, because they will not part from them (Johnson)
23. He who hates me hates my Father as well. o eme miswn kai ton patera mou misei
Hatred of Jesus amounts to hatred of his Father as well. The opposite was stated positively in 13:20. (Harris)
They hate both because they are none in the same, yet separate. (Bryant)
24. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ei ta erga mh epoihsa en autoiV a oudeiV alloV pepoihken amartian ouk eicon nun de kai ewrakasin kai memishkasin kai eme kai ton patera mou
Jesus continues his description of the world’s guilt for its rejection of him and the One who sent him. It seems that the sign-miracles he performed are particularly in view here. Had Jesus not done these things, which testified to who he was, the world would again not be guilty of rejecting him and the Father who sent him. But now they have seen and rejected, and their sin remains upon them unatoned. The world has both seen and hated Jesus, and in him it has seen (and hated) the Father too. (Harris)
25. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: `They hated me without reason.’ all ina plhrwqh o logoV o gegrammenoV en tw nomw autwn oti emishsan me dwrean
The ultimate reason for the world’s rejection of Jesus and his revelation of the Father is found in the Old Testament scriptures: the word which is written in their law must be fulfilled. As a technical term novmo” is usually restricted to the Pentateuch, but here it must have a broader reference, since the quotation is from Ps. 35:19 or Ps. 69:4. The latter is the more likely source for the quoted words, since it is cited elsewhere in the Fourth Gospel (2:17 and 19:29, in both instances in contexts associated with Jesus’ suffering and death). (Harris)
26. “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. otan de elqh o paraklhtoV on egw pemyw umin para tou patroV to pneuma thV alhqeiaV o para tou patroV ekporeuetai ekeinoV marturhsei peri emou
John 14:16-18; John 16:13-15
The counselor, by some, is believed to be the Holy Spirit, while others believe it is a real man. Scholars are not too sure on which it means. But Acts would seem to appoint it as the Holy Spirit.
26 and 27 gives the disciples future information about what the holy spirit will do and will not do. The holy spirit will be a confirmation of the continuing presence of Jesus within the believing community after his death and ressurection. But that is not the point of these verses. They are a warning to the discples that they should not epect the holy spirit to assume their designasted tasks of being a witness for Jesus. (Bryant)
27. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. kai umeiV de martureite oti ap archV met emou este
The apostles had been “with him from the beginning,” and knew all the facts. If he was true, they knew it; if he stilled the waves and raised the dead, they knew it; if he rose from the tomb, they knew it. (Acts 1:21,22) They bore witness to him by word and left their words to us. They bore witness by life, gave up all for him and died for their testimony. Such testimony is the strongest human testimony ever offered to any fact. (Johnson)
Bibliography
Brown, David, D, D. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. John. Crosswalk Inc. 1996.
Byzantine Greek Translation of the Book of John.
Harris, Hall. Commentary on the Gospel of John. Biblical Studies Press. 1996.
Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry Complete Commentary. www.biblestudytools.net1996.
Johnson, Barton W. People’s New Testament Commentary. Crosswalk Inc. 1999. www.biblestudytools.net.1999.
Bryant, Beauford. Krause, Mark. The College Press NIV Commentary John. College Press. 1998.